Arslanbob is a traditional Uzbek village. Ninety-five percent of the people are ethnically Uzbek. You do not only see it, but you also taste it in their food and hear it in their language. Arslanbob has no hotels or guesthouses, which means that you have to stay in a home stay. This form of community based tourism is well developed in the village. They even have a small office with English speaking staff that can help you organising your stay in the village. More than 25 families in the village prepared some kind of room (quality differs) where you can stay. And the money flows directly in the family’s pocket. We even spoke a family who could send their eldest daughter to a good school in Jalal-Abad, thanks to the income from travellers. But don’t expect a five-star experience. The rooms are often basic, and the bathroom even simpler. But that’s all part of the experience. If you like, you can also ask the family to cook for you; a great way to taste the local home made food.

The setting of the village is beautiful. The valley is surrounded by high mountains (up to 4500 metres) which are snow-capped many months of the year. Most people in Arslanbob live a simple life. There is electricity, but don’t expect running water or modern sanitary facilities. The toilet is often a shack in the garden with a hole in it. That should do the ‘job’. The streets are not paved, so after a shower you have to navigate well to avoid the puddles. Cars are available in the village, but the donkey is still an important means of transport; not only for goods, but also for the local children and old picturesque men. Young men prefer a horse. Despite the fact that many travellers know to find Arslanbob nowadays, it is still a very friendly village. It is a great place to experience traditional Kyrgyz village life.